Bald Eagle

[Roy Priest]

Took this on the way home from my god-daughter's soccer game. (they won 4-1 and she scored a goal and 3 assists)
Camera: NIKON D90
Lens: AF-S VR Nikkor 500mm F4G ED
Focal length: 850*mm*(equiv. 1275*mm)
Aperture: F9
Exposure time: 1/160" (+1*EV)
ISO speed rating: 320/26°
Program: Aperture priority
Metering Mode: Pattern
White Balance: Auto
Focus Mode: AF-C
Image Stabilizer: On
Noise Reduction: Off
Flash: Flash did not fire
Handheld using the top of my car as a brace. Cloned out a branch coming out of his head and one coming out of his neck.

[kostas nianiopoulos]

hi Roy your image is great nice and sharp good details and contact eye in camera , i have just make a little cleen , just for a change , if u dont like it , thats ok . i hope u will not get mad .
P.S.
your god daughter is a good soccer player .well done

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Roy Looks like you both had a great day ... game and bird !!!

Might brighten a little as presented but looks good !! Nothing much you can do about the branches except what Kostas did and a great job it was !!!! PS work looks excellent !!!

Nothing wrong with removing the branches as long as it is disclosed, fun thing to do and will sharpen your PS skills !!!

[Gus Hallgren]

Hi Roy

Super capture of the Bald Eagle. Did you photograph it in Cloverdale or up in the Squamish Whistler area?

Your photo and Kosta's repost are both supberb even viewed at 500%.

Looking forward to more photos from you.

Thanks for sharing

Uncle Gus
BC circa '24

[Lance Peters]

Hi Roy - would lighten the bird a little - Kostas repost looks great - if you are OK with doing this in P.S.
Dont something I do a lot of myself - but sure is a great way to sharpen up your. P.S. skills.
Techs look good - SS a little slow for the focal length - DOES look sharp though.
Good show :)

[Jeff Cashdollar]

That much focal length and detail being HH with that shutter speed, well done. Nice job bracing your yourself technique is good. Seems like most Eagles are always at steep angles (at least mine are). I enjoyed kostas's PS work - nice repost.

Nice job with the exposure and adding a stop of light.

[Roy Priest]

hi Roy your image is great nice and sharp good details and contact eye in camera , i have just make a little cleen , just for a change , if u dont like it , thats ok . i hope u will not get mad .
P.S.
your god daughter is a good soccer player .well done

Kostas, thanks for the repost. I actually did a version exactly like yours but decide to post as I shot it. It does look good though.:)

[Roy Priest]

Hi Roy Looks like you both had a great day ... game and bird !!!

Might brighten a little as presented but looks good !! Nothing much you can do about the branches except what Kostas did and a great job it was !!!! PS work looks excellent !!!

Nothing wrong with removing the branches as long as it is disclosed, fun thing to do and will sharpen your PS skills !!!

Thanks Alf, my pics routinely look darker on line. I'll have to lighten even more.

[Roy Priest]

Hi Roy

Super capture of the Bald Eagle. Did you photograph it in Cloverdale or up in the Squamish Whistler area?

Uncle Gus
BC circa '24

Gus, thanks for the kind words. I took this in Delta, not far from the seashore. There are eagles galore at the moment. People make the journey to Brackendale (Squamish) but the Harrison river is closer and has plenty of eagles.

[Roy Priest]

Hi Roy - would lighten the bird a little - Kostas repost looks great - if you are OK with doing this in P.S.
Dont something I do a lot of myself - but sure is a great way to sharpen up your. P.S. skills.
Techs look good - SS a little slow for the focal length - DOES look sharp though.
Good show :)

Lance, it was a dull overcast day and I was hesitant to boost the ISO .

[Roy Priest]

That much focal length and detail being HH with that shutter speed, well done. Nice job bracing your yourself technique is good. Seems like most Eagles are always at steep angles (at least mine are). I enjoyed kostas's PS work - nice repost.

Nice job with the exposure and adding a stop of light.

Thanks Jeff. I braced the lens on the car roof and put my hand under the lens foot, didn't want to scratch the car. Most of the Eagles are in fairly high trees but there are lots standing in fields but not always in the best position for a shot. I've noticed over the years the worse the weather the more are standing in fields. Nice weather and they are off soaring.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Roy interesting field notes on the relationship between weather and location - thanks.

I have visited Squamish just outside Vancouver right, anyway beautiful country and busy these days :)

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Roy,
I like the composition and capture. You have good feather details and a sharp eye...actually the background does not bother me because its the bird's natural habitat and the face was clear. The repost does offer a much cleaner solution, and as stated, it will sharpen your post processing skills...looking forward to your next one...:cool:

[VinceRossi]

Fantastic Shot. You guys are sp lucky to be able to shoot Eagles as though they were seagulls here on the Jersey Shore. We would give anything for a day of shooting eagles. One of "NO places" that I can think of you need a mega lens to even see that it is an Eagle.

Once again great capture.

[Roy Priest]

Hi Roy,
I like the composition and capture. You have good feather details and a sharp eye...actually the background does not bother me because its the bird's natural habitat and the face was clear. The repost does offer a much cleaner solution, and as stated, it will sharpen your post processing skills...looking forward to your next one...:cool:

Thanks Gus

[Roy Priest]

Fantastic Shot. You guys are sp lucky to be able to shoot Eagles as though they were seagulls here on the Jersey Shore. We would give anything for a day of shooting eagles. One of "NO places" that I can think of you need a mega lens to even see that it is an Eagle.

Once again great capture.

Thanks Vince, yes we are lucky with eagles but each area has it's benefits and you have birds I wish I had.:)